How much power to expect?
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (15)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Junction City, Kansas
How much power to expect? Good afternoon folks. I have a 2001 WS6 A4 with 86k miles on it. Just finished putting on 2010 243 casting heads with LS7 lifters, PRC .625 springs, TSP chromoly pushrods, and a TSP 224R / 113 LSA cam. Car loped great and has long tube stainless headers and MSD plugs and wires.
In order to get the car running so that I could drive it with a start point I uploaded a 224 / 112LSA cam file from the HPTuners file bin. The car is idling too high for sure, but runs fine and doesn't stall. However, it seems to lack the punch it should have for the heads and cam just installed. The throttle response doesn't quite seem correct and it should be me back in my seat at WOT. It doesn't. Are there any suggestions for a start point here? Or should I take it back to complete stock tune and start from scratch?
In order to get the car running so that I could drive it with a start point I uploaded a 224 / 112LSA cam file from the HPTuners file bin. The car is idling too high for sure, but runs fine and doesn't stall. However, it seems to lack the punch it should have for the heads and cam just installed. The throttle response doesn't quite seem correct and it should be me back in my seat at WOT. It doesn't. Are there any suggestions for a start point here? Or should I take it back to complete stock tune and start from scratch?
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (15)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Junction City, Kansas
53 looks and no responses. Guess I'm not asking the right questions. How much power should I have gained on the head/cam install from stock heads/cam? Am I better off starting a fresh tune or correcting what is in the car now?
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (15)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Junction City, Kansas
I had similar setup with my old 2001 z28 but was running a 228r cam and dual exhaust. That car put down 422/408 to the wheels. I should be getting some good torque out of this setup with 380-400 rwhp.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (15)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Junction City, Kansas
Nothing has been done to the heads. They are 243's off of a 2010 Silverado with 30k miles on them. I updated the valvetrain and cleaned them up nice before installing them. I think my tune needs to be combed and possibly a set of 3:73 or 4:10 gears to wake it up. It has the stock 3:23 gears I believe.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (15)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Junction City, Kansas
Here is the latest. I got most of the idle stuff tuned out and the car runs good in reverse and drive on cold start without being fully warmed up. When it is at full operating temperature it is mostly good in drive at a stop light. When it is warm and I put it in reverse it surges low and dies. Same thing happens if it is warm and I start it at a parking lot except if I give it a couple revs everything irons out.
What table do I need to look at for the reverse gear idle?
And as far as the gears go, I'm going to put a TCI 3000 stall in it and a set of motive 3.73 gears. Should run nicely with that.
What table do I need to look at for the reverse gear idle?
And as far as the gears go, I'm going to put a TCI 3000 stall in it and a set of motive 3.73 gears. Should run nicely with that.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Good afternoon folks. I have a 2001 WS6 A4 with 86k miles on it. Just finished putting on 2010 243 casting heads with LS7 lifters, PRC .625 springs, TSP chromoly pushrods, and a TSP 224R / 113 LSA cam. Car loped great and has long tube stainless headers and MSD plugs and wires.
In order to get the car running so that I could drive it with a start point I uploaded a 224 / 112LSA cam file from the HPTuners file bin. The car is idling too high for sure, but runs fine and doesn't stall. However, it seems to lack the punch it should have for the heads and cam just installed. The throttle response doesn't quite seem correct and it should be me back in my seat at WOT. It doesn't. Are there any suggestions for a start point here? Or should I take it back to complete stock tune and start from scratch?
In order to get the car running so that I could drive it with a start point I uploaded a 224 / 112LSA cam file from the HPTuners file bin. The car is idling too high for sure, but runs fine and doesn't stall. However, it seems to lack the punch it should have for the heads and cam just installed. The throttle response doesn't quite seem correct and it should be me back in my seat at WOT. It doesn't. Are there any suggestions for a start point here? Or should I take it back to complete stock tune and start from scratch?
a stock converter will make it feel like a turd...when mine was cammed and bolt ons it wouldn't even turn the tires over from a dead stop
a base tune from the internet is probably not that precise, so who knows what's going on with the air fuel and all that
a base tune from the internet is probably not that precise, so who knows what's going on with the air fuel and all that
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Mechanicsville, VA
I run a 98 LS1 with stock converter, 3.73's and I can't keep from roasting tires if I get on it at all. I need a stall defenitely, even a small one. Would help with the shifting in gear thing also.
mine was bolt ons and 230/224 cam, 4l60e, 3.42, 295/50r15 street tires
from a dead stop it would not spin at all...depending on the pavement surface it would try to break loose around 3000rpm in first, it would also spin slightly on a 2-1 downshift sometimes
it just felt like turbo lag the way it ran...the stall was about the best mod I've done for the car as far as go fast is concerned
from a dead stop it would not spin at all...depending on the pavement surface it would try to break loose around 3000rpm in first, it would also spin slightly on a 2-1 downshift sometimes
it just felt like turbo lag the way it ran...the stall was about the best mod I've done for the car as far as go fast is concerned
A stock converter is pushing the limits. They tend to be too tight down low and 95+% of aftermarket cams don't like to be under 800rpms. Problem is, if you up the idle, you get a nasty thunk when going from P/N to In Gear. Get a stall in there and you notice low-rpm behavior will improve.
As for your question about power, I would say 400-410 to the tire through an auto is about where you can expect to be. Any more will be icing on the cake. A good starting point will usually be a flat WOT AFR of 12.7 and 27* of timing (safe). You can lean on it on the dyno to see if it makes any more power with less fuel and more timing. But, the extra strain isn't always worth another 5hp IMO.
Drive-ability, idle, etc....that all comes from quite a few tables and general knowledge of how the PCM works to figure things out. I'll tell you timing is a big player in the quest to get the car not to surge at light throttle, lower RPM (1200~2000) cruising scenarios. There are also some adaptive idle control tables that can help to avoid the idle surge (both airflow and timing related). If you look around in the right places, you should be able to find the answers you're looking for. But, don't expect them to come too easily. After all, that's why tuners get paid...
As for your question about power, I would say 400-410 to the tire through an auto is about where you can expect to be. Any more will be icing on the cake. A good starting point will usually be a flat WOT AFR of 12.7 and 27* of timing (safe). You can lean on it on the dyno to see if it makes any more power with less fuel and more timing. But, the extra strain isn't always worth another 5hp IMO.
Drive-ability, idle, etc....that all comes from quite a few tables and general knowledge of how the PCM works to figure things out. I'll tell you timing is a big player in the quest to get the car not to surge at light throttle, lower RPM (1200~2000) cruising scenarios. There are also some adaptive idle control tables that can help to avoid the idle surge (both airflow and timing related). If you look around in the right places, you should be able to find the answers you're looking for. But, don't expect them to come too easily. After all, that's why tuners get paid...
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (15)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Junction City, Kansas
Great answers and suggestions from everyone. I appreciate that. I've been tuning off and on since 2005. Automatic cars definately seem to be a challenge. The more and more I drive the car it seems to have some slippage in the transmission when in drive. Feels pretty good in 3rd though. The car has 86k miles and I've replaced the transmission filter once. As money permits I'll do a TCI 3000 stall, monster in a box tranny rebuilt kit, and some 3.73 gears. Can't afford it right now.
The other interesting part is cold starts. The of course idles high at cold start and if I put it in reverse or drive shortly there after it surges and dies unless I power brake it. If the car warms up for 15 min or so then the car doesn't die, but still surges to about 600 rpm. I have also noticed that 90+ degree hot and humid air pisses it off. 80's seem to be a very happy air temp for the car. I'm still conducting research and reading to learn more about idle tuning. I'm more concerned with street driveability and power than I am about track racing or maximum horsepower on the dyno.
The other interesting part is cold starts. The of course idles high at cold start and if I put it in reverse or drive shortly there after it surges and dies unless I power brake it. If the car warms up for 15 min or so then the car doesn't die, but still surges to about 600 rpm. I have also noticed that 90+ degree hot and humid air pisses it off. 80's seem to be a very happy air temp for the car. I'm still conducting research and reading to learn more about idle tuning. I'm more concerned with street driveability and power than I am about track racing or maximum horsepower on the dyno.